History Main / TheFourChordsOfPop

* Mika - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFkSMHle8-M Happy Ending]]"

[[AC:When adding examples, please bear in mind that chord progressions are extremely susceptible to SquarePegRoundTrope. While they illustrate the trope very well, the 4 Chords 36 Songs and Pachelbel Rant videos both fall foul of this numerous times, so please avoid listing the entire content of them here.]]

** Boston - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSR6ZzjDZ94 More Than A Feeling]]" (the chorus)

'''I-V-vi-IV'''. There's just something about [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I these four chords]] that makes for a catchy tune in western pop music, transcending the boundaries of genre, and work in a song with any mood or tempo. This particular ordering of them, the "pop-punk progression" as TheOtherWiki calls it, was spawned as a variant of the DooWopProgression, and has been particularly popular from the 1990s to the present day.

'''I-V-vi-IV'''. There's just something about these four chords that makes for a catchy tune in western pop music, transcending the boundaries of genre, and work in a song with any mood or tempo. This particular ordering of them, the "pop-punk progression" as TheOtherWiki calls it, was spawned as a variant of the DooWopProgression, and has been particularly popular from the 1990s to the present day.

Its all explained right [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I here]]

* {{Journey}} - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFlA9YTDeoc Don't Stop Believing]]" (first half of the well-known [[EpicRiff riff]])

* {{A-ha}} - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914 Take On Me]]" (chorus only; verse is ii-V-I-IV)
* Bush - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66yp3cMwkw Glycerine]]" and "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbhFfFyZQbA Comedown]]"
* GreenDay - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8dh9gDzmz8 When I Come Around]]" (but not in the chorus)
* ''SesameStreet'' (yes, ''SesameStreet'') - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEwNGgNXr9U The Word Is No]]"
* Caramell - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anEVeN4K-SY Caramelldansen]]"[[hottip:*:Link goes to the slow original, not the [[MemeticMutation more well known]] Speedycake remix.]]
* Jason Mraz - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A&ob=av3e I'm Yours]]"
* IngridMichaelson - "Everybody", refrain
* LizPhair - "Why Can't I", verse (and has the reordered minor key version in the refrain)

* OneRepublic - Apologize

'''I-IV-vi-V'''
* PatBenatar - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTdMJuu9qYg Hit Me With Your Best Shot]]"
* Boston - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSR6ZzjDZ94 More Than A Feeling]]" (the chorus)

''This section (on I vi IV V) should be moved to DooWopProgression.''
'''I-vi-IV-V''', known on TheOtherWiki as the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50s_progression 50s progression]]", and arguably better known if less ubiquitous than I-V-vi-IV:
* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x8trg3Eyto#t=1m15s Heart and Soul]]", played on the giant piano in ''{{Big}}'' - possibly the TropeCodifier.
* Ben E King - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbg7YoXiKn0 Stand By Me]]"
* Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Tt86_PdGM Enola Gay]]"
* Gene Chandler - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2gvaDTpKMk Duke of Earl]]"
* Dion and the Belmonts - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c49klxPex-k Runaround Sue]]"
* Used in "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwyC2cY9NNA&feature=related Grease: The Musical]]" with a great big [[LampshadeHanging lampshade attached]]. "C-C-C-C-C-C, A-A-A-A-minor, F-F-F-F-F-F, G-G-G-G-seventh..."

* Arcade Fire - "Intervention"

'''I-V-vi-IV'''. There's just something about these four chords that makes for a catchy tune in western pop music. They transcend the boundaries of genre, and work in a song with any mood or tempo.

* '''vi-IV-V-I''', or if considered to be in minor, '''i-VI-VII-III''': See HumoresqueProgression.

* GrooveCoverage: "God is a Girl" (in C minor)
* {{O-Zone}}: "DragosteaDinTei" (also known as the "[[InternetMeme Numa Numa Song]]") (in A minor)

!!Other chord progressions containing the four chords
'''I-vi-IV-V''', known on TheOtherWiki as the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50s_progression 50s progression]]", and arguably better known if less ubiquitous than I-V-vi-IV:
* "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x8trg3Eyto#t=1m15s Heart and Soul]]", played on the giant piano in ''{{Big}}'' - possibly the TropeCodifier.
* Ben E King - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbg7YoXiKn0 Stand By Me]]"
* Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Tt86_PdGM Enola Gay]]"
* Gene Chandler - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2gvaDTpKMk Duke of Earl]]"
* Dion and the Belmonts - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c49klxPex-k Runaround Sue]]"
* Used in "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwyC2cY9NNA&feature=related Grease: The Musical]]" with a great big [[LampshadeHanging lampshade attached]]. "C-C-C-C-C-C, A-A-A-A-minor, F-F-F-F-F-F, G-G-G-G-seventh..."

'''vi-IV-I-V''', or the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_female_chord_progression sensitive female progression]]":

'''I-V-vi-IV'''. There's just something about these four chords that makes for a catchy tune in American pop music. They transcend the boundaries of genre, and work in a song with any mood or tempo.

If you don't know your music theory, the preceding line probably won't have made a great deal of sense to you. The problem is, we can't explain it much better; "Roman analysis", as that string of text is called, is about as simplified as it's possible to get. Instead, have a look at [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I this video]], which explains it much more accessibly than text ever could. If that video doesn't work, play through the following chords in order: C major, G major, A minor, F major. That's the version of this {{chord progression}} in [[{{tonality}} C major]].

If this progression loops back to I, this effectively produces a PlagalCadence.

Compare ThreeChordsAndTheTruth, which generally uses I-IV-V.

!!Examples of I-V-vi-IV

'''vi-IV-V-I''', or if considered to be in minor, '''i-VI-VII-III''': See HumoresqueProgression.

'''I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V''': See [=~Pachelbel's Canon Progression~=].

* PatBenatar, "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTdMJuu9qYg Hit Me With Your Best Shot]]"

* Bush - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66yp3cMwkw Glycerine]]"

If you don't know your music theory, the preceding line probably won't have made a great deal of sense to you. The problem is, we can't explain it much better; "Roman analysis", as that string of text is called, is about as simplified as it's possible to get. Instead, have a look at [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpB_40hYjXU this video]], which explains it much more accessibly than text ever could. If that video doesn't work, play through the following chords in order: C major, G major, A minor, F major. That's the version of this {{chord progression}} in [[{{tonality}} C major]].

!!Examples of rearrangements of the four chords

'''I-V-vi-IV'''

(If you don't know your music theory, the preceding line probably won't have made a great deal of sense to you. The problem is, we can't explain it much better; "Roman analysis", as that string of text is called, is about as simplified as it's possible to get. Instead, have a look at [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpB_40hYjXU this video]], which explains it much more accessibly than text ever could.)

There's just something about these four chords that makes for a catchy tune. They transcend the boundaries of genre, and work in a song with any mood or tempo. A OneHitWonder's one hit is very likely to use them.

!!Other common progressions with the four chords
'''I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V'''
* Pachelbel's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZHw9uyj81g Canon in D]]", and thus any songs that sample it:
** Vitamin C - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDM3eYp4KQ Graduation Song (Friends Forever)]]"
** Coolio - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP1PXRiVoJw C U When U Get There]]"
** MontyPython - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkRXTT-15WM Decomposing Composers]]"
* One Tin Soldier - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mASbP3Eq1VE Coven]]"
* PetShopBoys - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNBjMRvOB5M Go West]]" (originally by the Village People, but the progression was purposely played up in the cover)
* {{DragonForce}} - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlkVK0ZVkkw Valley of the Damned]]" (chorus and instrumental part)
* {{Aerosmith}} - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNmyxV2Ncw Cryin']]" (actually interpolates "Canon in D" in the bridge)
* Peter, Paul and Mary - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wik2uc69WbU Puff the Magic Dragon]]"
* The Farm - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUsVOyIoby0 All Together Now]]"
* Parts of the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op8lib6t6FY ending music]] from ''SuperMarioBros 2''

* TheBeatles - "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9SgDoypXcI Let It Be]]" (first half of the verse chord progression)